Apparatus for automatically controlling the initiation and/or termination of functions of apparatus or processes using a clock pulse generator

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for controlling the initiation or termination of at least one function in timed relationship to the occurrence of an event. The invention is particularly useful in conjunction with the operation of a cigarette making machine, for example, where it is desired that the supply of cork-tipped paper and filter plugs, for example, be held off after the machine has started until such time as they are in fact required to be introduced in order to make the finished cigarette. A clock pulse generator provides a train of clock pulses which occur one after the other in sequential, spaced apart relationship. The clock pulse generator is activated in response to the occurrence of an event. Means are provided having a plurality of output terminals that translate the train of clock pulses into a plurality of pulse signals derivable from individual ones of the output terminals, one such pulse signal being derivable at each of the output terminals, and the pulses of different ones of the pulse signals occurring at different points in time. At least one network is connectable or is connected to at least one of the output terminals and includes a two state device which controls the initiation or termination of and initiates or terminates the function when the state thereof changes from one state to a second state. The network is responsive to the occurrence of a pulse at the output terminal to which the network is connected for changing the state of the two state device from its one state to its second state thereof.

I claim: 
     
       1. In combination with a cigarette machine of the type having the following work stations in the following order: a cigarette making work station at which cigarette paper and tobacco are formed into cigarettes, a plug feeding work station at which plugs are fed into said machine and are arranged end to end with said cigarettes and a cork tip paper feeding work station at which cork tip paper is fed into said machine and wrapped around said plugs and said cigarettes: apparatus for controlling the initiation of various machine functions in timed relationship to the occurrence of an event, said apparatus comprising a clock pulse generator for providing, when activated, a train of clock pulses which occur one after the other in sequential, spaced apart relationship; means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion for activating said clock pulse generator; means having a plurality of output terminals for translating said train of clock pulses into a plurality of pulse signals that are derivable from individual ones of said output terminals, one such pulse signal being derivable at each of said output terminals and the pulses of different ones of said pulse signals occurring at different points in time; first and second networks, said first network including a first two state device, said first two state device controlling the supply of plugs to said plug feeding work station, said first two state device initiating said supply of plugs when said state thereof changes from one state to a second state thereof and terminating said supply of plugs when said state thereof changes from said second state to said one state thereof, said second network including a second two state device, said second two state device controlling the supply of cork tip paper to said cork tip paper feeding work station, said second two state device initiating said supply of cork tip paper when said state thereof changes from one state to a second state thereof and terminating said supply of cork tip paper when said state thereof changes from said second state to said one state thereof, said first and second networks being connected to at least one of said output terminals and each being responsive to the occurrence of a pulse at said output terminal to which said network is connected for changing the state of said two state device of said network from said one state to said second state thereof. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are at least two of said output terminals, said first network being connected to a first one of said output terminals and said second network being connected to a second of said output terminal, said pulse derivable at said second output terminal occurring at a later point in time than said pulse derivable at said one output terminal. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said output terminals, wherein said first network includes first switch means connected between said first two state device and a plurality of said output terminals for selecting pulses occuring at different ones of said output terminals, and wherein said second network includes second switch means connected between said second two state device and a plurality of said output terminals for selecting pulses occurring at different ones of said output terminals. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said second switch means is connected occurs at a later point in time than at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said first switch means is connected. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 4 including means for inhibiting the supply of pulses to said output terminals after a predetermined number of clock pulses have been produced in response to activation of said clock pulse generator by said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion comprise detecting means for detecting cigarettes passing from said cigarette making work station to said plug feeding work station. 
     
     
       7. In combination with a cigarette machine of the type having the following work stations arranged in the following order: a cigarette making work station at which cigarette paper and tobacco are formed into cigarettes, a plug feeding work station at which plugs are fed into said machine and are arranged end to end with said cigarettes and a cork tip paper feeding work station at which cork tip paper is fed into said machine and wrapped around said plugs and said cigarettes: apparatus for controlling the initiation and termination of various machine functions in timed relationship to the occurrence of certain events, said apparatus comprising a clock pulse generator for providing, when activated, a train of clock pulses which occur one after the other in sequential, spaced apart relationship; means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion for activating said clock pulse generator; activatable means for activating said clock pulse generator when said activatable means are activated; means having a plurality of output terminals for translating said train of clock pulses into a plurality of pulse signals that are derivable from individual ones of said output terminals, one such pulse signal being derivable at each of said output terminals and the pulses of different ones of said pulse signals occurring at different points in time; first, second and third and fourth networks, said first and third networks including a first common two state device, said first two state device controlling the supply of plugs to said plug feeding work station, said first two state device initiating said supply of plugs when said state thereof changes from one state to a second state thereof and terminating said supply of plugs when said state thereof changes from said second state to said one state thereof, said second and fourth networks including a second common two state device, said second two state device controlling the supply of cork tip paper to said cork tip paper feeding work station, said second two state device initiating said supply of cork tip paper when said state thereof changes from one state to a second state thereof and terminating said supply of cork tip paper when said state thereof changes from said second state thereof to said one state thereof, said first, second, third and fourth networks being connected to at least one of said output terminals, said two state devices each being responsive to the supply of a pulse thereto via either of said networks associated therewith and derived from a pulse occurring at the output terminal associated with the particular network for changing said state thereof; means responsive to activation of said clock pulse generator by said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion for rendering said third and fourth networks incapable of supplying any pulse derived from any pulse at any of said output terminals to which said third and fourth networks are connected to said first and second two state devices respectively and for enabling said first and second networks to supply any pulse derived from any pulse at any of said output terminals to which said first and second networks are connected to said first and second two state devices respectively to change said state of both of said two state devices from said one state to said second state thereof and responsive to activation of said clock pulse generator by activation of said activating means for rendering said first and second networks incapable of supplying any pulse derived from any pulse at any of said output terminals to which said first and second networks are connected to said first and second two state devices respectively and for enabling said third and fourth networks to supply any pulse derived from any pulse at any of said output terminals to which said third and fourth networks are connected to said first and second two state devices respectively to change said state of both of said two state devices from said second state to said one state thereof; and means for inhibiting the supply of pulses to said output terminals after a predetermined number of clock pulses have been produced in response to activation of said clock pulse generator by said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion until activation of said clock pulse generator by activation of said activatable means occurs. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein there are a plurality of said output terminals, said first network being connected to one of said output terminals and said second network being connected to another of said output terminals, said pulse derivable at said another output terminal occurring at a later point in time than said pulse derivable at said one output terminal. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said their network is connected to one of said output terminals and said fourth network is connected to another of said output terminals, said pulse derivable at said output terminal to which said fourth network is connected occurring at a later point in time than said pulse derivable from said output terminal to which said third network is connected. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein there are a plurality of said output terminals and wherein said first, second, third and fourth networks include first, second, third and fourth switching means respectively, said first and third switching means being connected between a plurality of said output terminals and said first two state device for selecting pulses occurring at different ones of said output terminals, said second and fourth switching means being connected between a plurality of said output terminals and said second two state device for selecting pulses occurring at different ones of said output terminals. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said second switch means is connected occurs at a later point in time than at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said first switch means is connected. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said fourth switching means is connected occurs at a later point in time than at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminal to which said third switching means is connected. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion comprise detecting means for detecting cigarettes passing from said cigarette making work station to said plug feeding work station. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means responsive to cigarettes being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion for activating said clock pulse generator also is responsive, after said predetermined number of clock pulses have been produced, to cigarettes not being made at said cigarette making work station in a normal fashion for activating said clock pulse generator, the effect of the latter activation on said first, second, third and fourth networks being the same as the effect of activation of said activatable means. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said machine includes second activatable means for operating said machine at a higher speed than the speed at which said machine starts up, a fifth network including a fifth switching means and said second activatable means, said fifth switching means being connected between a plurality of said output terminals and said second activatable means, said second activatable means being responsive to the supply of a pulse thereto via said fifth network and derived from a pulse occurring at any of said output terminals to which said fifth network is connected for activating said second activatable means. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein at least one pulse derivable at at least one of said output terminals to which said fifth switching means is connected occurs at a later point in time than at least one pulse derivable at at least one of the output terminals to which each of said first and third switching means are connected. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said machine includes an inspection work station at which substandard cigarettes are rejected, said inspection work station following said cork tip paper feeding work station, said apparatus including a sixth network, said sixth network including a sixth switching means and a third two state device, said third two state device controlling the rejection of cigarettes at said inspection work station, said third two state device initiating rejection of cigarettes when said state thereof changes from one state to a second state thereof and terminating rejection of cigarettes when said state thereof changes from said second state to said one state thereof, said sixth switching means being connected to a plurality of said output terminals, said sixth network including first means for generating a first output pulse of predetermined duration and second means for generating a second output pulse of predetermined duration, said third two state device being responsive to termination of said first output pulse for changing said state thereof from said one state to said second state thereof and responsive to termination of said second output pulse for changing said state thereof from said state to said one state thereof, said first generating means being responsive to the supply of a pulse thereto derived from a pulse occurring at the one of said output terminals to which said third network is connected to generate said first output pulse, said second generating means being responsive to termination of said first output pulse to generate said output pulse. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to claim 17 including sensing means for sensing a splice of said cork tip paper, means responsive to the sensing of a splice of said cork tip paper by said sensing means for generating a third output pulse of predetermined duration, third means for generating a fourth output pulse of predetermined duration, said third two state device being responsive to termination of said third output pulse for changing said state thereof from said one state to said second state thereof and responsive to termination of said fourth output pulse for changing said state thereof from said second state to said one state thereof, said third generating means being responsive to termination of said third output pulse for generating said fourth output pulse.